Archive for month: October, 2016

Managing a warehouse is all about the bottom line. There are obvious logistical ways to maximize a warehouse from a quantitative perspective, however, there are just as important qualitative ways in which managers can optimize the flow of a warehouse that often get overlooked. Maximize warehouse workflow by taking these steps to improve the quality and quantity of your team’s productivity.

Setup a warehouse management system

In order to improve the flow of your warehouse, you’ll need to know where you are starting from, and identify any major flaws in your warehouse’s processes. Identify your cost per line, box and return. This will show you if you should be focusing on budget or efficiency and how you can best marry the two to create an optimal warehouse.

Find out what certain errors, like lost inventory or wrong shipments, cost your company. This will help you focus on mastering the processes in which you cannot afford mistakes.

Keep energy up

At the end of the day, your team’s efficiency and effort is what makes your warehouse successful. Keep spirits high with consistent and effective displays of gratitude. Hold meetings to celebrate employee successes. Give away incentives such as gift cards, free lunches or company apparel to top performers. The more fun it is to come into work, the better your warehouse’s energy and productivity will be.

Be lean and mean

If you are looking to truly optimize your warehouse efficiency, you will want to implement the “just in time” tactics of six sigma. This adds pressure to your warehouse’s processes; however, it’s the best way to ensure that your workflow is optimized to fit your deadlines without down time.

Treat your employees well

Your employees make your warehouse the powerful machine that it is. When you treat your employees well, it’s just like taking care of your most prized possession. You wouldn’t put generic oil in your classic Ferrari, or feed your thoroughbred horse scraps, so you can’t treat your employees as though they were replaceable and expect your factory’s workflow not to decline.

Warehouse management can be tricky, but with a trusted light industrial staffing firm in your corner, you add years of experience from light industrial recruiting experts who have seen it all. The Reserves Network has helped thousands of companies top talent and manage them for over 30 years. Contact TRN to grow your business today.

https://trnstaffing.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/logo.png00adminhttps://trnstaffing.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/logo.pngadmin2016-10-26 14:00:002016-10-20 15:39:43Increase the Flow of Your Warehouse with These Expert Tips

Avoiding a bad hire is a solution that managers have been trying to find since the beginning of industry. When a candidate says all of the right things during an interview, identifying bad employees can be nearly impossible. It may require restructuring your company’s application process entirely. However, the cost of a bad hire far succeeds any costs or inconveniences associated with any changes to your hiring processes. Consider these factors the next time you’re ready to hold interviews.

Come prepared

“One of the greatest mistakes a hiring manager can make is not being thoroughly prepared for their interviews,” says Jen Hochevar, human resources manager for The Reserves Network. “No different then a job candidate, the interviewer needs to study the final job posting; the resume of the candidate prior to the interview; and thoroughly access both the departmental and company-wide reasoning for the hire.”

A lack of preparation can lead managers into undervaluing certain key skills or traits that are required for the role at hand, while overvaluing others that are already covered by other employees. You need to know exactly what you are looking for in the perfect candidate, what your concerns are in the candidate you are interviewing based on their application thus far, and address these concerns during your interview.

Get a second (or third) opinion

Different interviewers process information their own unique way. Whether you evaluate candidates based on qualifications, cultural fit or through testing them during your interview, how you interpret the success of an interview will be different from others. For better or worse, this is the case, which is why it helps to have a member or multiple members of your team analyze candidates to get a more complete picture of a potential new hire. This helps fill in gaps and account for candidates who know how to speak their way around certain personalities and make themselves seem like a better hire than they really are.

Watch for signs of toxicity

Toxic employees are extremely dangerous because they can have all of the right qualifications and abilities, however, their behaviors just don’t succeed in a professional environment. Getting to know a candidate’s personality can be nearly impossible over a short application period. The best way to avoid hiring a toxic employee is to know what to look for and get the opinion of multiple team members to check for any inconsistencies in work experience or character. Watch for these signs while interviewing your next candidate:

Apathy – If the passion isn’t there, apathetic employees simply won’t have the energy to be as successful as their more passionate co-workers.

Dishonesty – Don’t overlook small signs of dishonesty. It can be a sign of a shaky moral character and professional integrity.

Inconsistency – A combination of dishonesty and apathy, an inconsistent candidate simply cannot be trusted to be reliable enough to get the job done right day in and day out.

Selfishness – As a member of your team, you need to ensure that new hires are going to work well with your warehouse unit. Watch out for candidates that are constantly focused on their own gains.

Laziness – Light industrial work requires consistent hard work. There is no room for laziness on your team.

Find the light industrial workers in that will drive your business forward by working with The Reserves Network today!

https://trnstaffing.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/logo.png00adminhttps://trnstaffing.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/logo.pngadmin2016-10-20 14:00:362016-10-20 15:29:17Avoid Hiring a Bad Candidate Because They Are a Good Interviewer

We’ve all been there. You have a deadline creeping up, but instead of finishing it over the weekend, you clean your entire house and organize your sock drawer. What we think we’re doing is taking back our freedom from work, when in reality we’re chaining ourselves to an even tighter deadline under even more pressure.

When we feel the itch to flee from our work responsibilities, we must keep in mind that the amount of time we will spend on an assignment will not change whether we do it now or later. What will change is the time you have left to complete the project adequately. When we put things off to the last minute, it changes our standards from doing an exceptional job to simply just getting it done. The way to stop procrastinating is as simple as changing your perspective.

Rushed Results

Procrastinators don’t give themselves ample time to check and double check the quality of their work. This can lead to less than stellar output. Work early and often on your projects and you may impress yourself with the results of a project that was finished early.

Stress! Stress! Stress!

Did we mention that procrastination is stressful? When you cut your timeline in half, or worse, you force yourself to function under more pressure. You have to work faster which can get sloppy and cause you to get frustrated. There is also the fear of not having enough time to finish the project, which is agonizing for any conscientious employee.

Less Control

By choosing to put off your work, you are losing control of your time and limiting yourself in the future. If management begins to notice a trend in your work being late and of low quality, you could miss out on better assignments down the line.

The Impact on Your Schedule

How many times have you had to cancel plans because of a work deadline? Did you ever think that you could have prevented that by working more diligently throughout the work week? When you procrastinate, you risk missing out on concerts, fun dates or family events because of an approaching deadline.

Always On the Go

When you wait until the last minute to complete an assignment, it forces you to be in a rush. This on-the-go lifestyle is often misconceived as a necessary part of adult life. However, if you work efficiently, you will have more time to take care of yourself. Finish your projects early so you can stop and breathe for a second before you start your next project.

It Could Cost You Your Job

If you don’t have a great performance history, your employer may choose not to accept assignments past their deadlines and you could be terminated for underperforming.

Want to learn more about prioritizing your work day? Contact The Reserves Network, national staffing leader to hone your professional skills and find the right job that fits your skills.

Warehouse workers play a critical role in ensuring that things in an industrial facility are running smoothly. They are often tasked to help oversee product shipments, unload supplies, organize inventory, store merchandise and prepare items for delivery. Workers that are promoted to management roles oversee these operations, making sure that staff members are productive and implementing strategies for efficiency.

Basically, warehouse workers take care of a lot of the little things most people take for granted. If you’re applying for this role and aren’t quite sure what to expect, this guide should be of help to you.

Demands of the Job

Warehouse employees face a number of physically demanding tasks, which is why you shouldn’t be surprised to get asked if you have any physical limitations that could impede your ability perform your duties. After all, you’ll be expected to lift goods and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds and handle a variety of heavy machinery.

You won’t need a level of fitness equal to that of an athlete, but you do need to be in decent shape if you want to be considered for the role.

Attention to Detail

A keen attention to detail is a major plus for anyone applying to be a warehouse employee.

You can expect to be asked the following:

“Do you have a system for tracking shipments and merchandise to prevent loss or theft?”

“What methods do you employ to prevent damage when loading and unloading goods?”

While your answers will depend on your skills and experience, you want to be as detailed as possible, giving a laundry list of techniques you would typically use to protect and track goods. Possible answers to emphasize include experience using an inventory management system (IMS) and knowing how to apply protective materials on goods (e.g. padding and bubble wrap).

Strong Communication Skills

Communication may seem like a soft skill, but it’s absolutely critical when running an efficient warehouse facility. Warehouse workers are required to talk with suppliers, moving companies, transportation companies, managers, dispatchers, and co-workers on an almost daily basis. So, being able to communicate and listen can be a valuable skill.

You can expect to be asked things like:

“What are your strongest communication skills?”

“Can you provide examples of scenarios in the past where you had to communicate in a warehouse environment?”

“What is one instance where an event or situation proved to be a communication challenge, and how did you deal with it?”

For more job search tips in the warehouse niche and other industries, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with the staffing services specialists The Reserves Network. Contact us today to get started!